5 (not wine) Tastings to Host

May 2, 2017

First of all, nothing can replace wine.

Second of all, is first of all even proper English? Ugh.

Cider. There are so many types of cider hitting the market and I am so down for that. I actually make a trip every year to the Portland Cider Festival, I buy all my favorites and bring them back to the office to host a tasting. We’re not the ‘winning’ type so we just chat about what flavors we like and don’t like. People get some cute Instagram photos, it’s a win-win. All of these are, actually. My favorite ciders are from Reverend Nat’s: revival dry and the passion. BevMo has a good selection of Ciders to choose from. So does Whole Foods! Cider is gluten free, so it’s great for all of our made-up allergies! (kidding..) Not a cider fest aficionado? Try these easy to find ones: Strongbow Honey or Cherry Blossom, Wyder’s Pear, Sonoma Cider the Anvil Bourbon, Ace Pineapple Cider, Seattle Cider Seasonal, 2 Towns Made Marion… I’m thirsty.

Weird Beer! Obviously, you could have an IPA tasting, or maybe a suite of Gordon Biersch Seasonal during Fall. But why not grab a few different strange-sounding flavors and host a tasting! People will naturally start discussing their favorites. There is Peanut Butter Beer and White Chocolate Beer, Avocado Honey Ale and Banana Split Stout. BevMo has a pretty good selection, and they deliver for $50, which in my case is a steal. It is SO annoying that Instacart doesn’t deliver alcohol anymore! Where do you get your booze for work? Let me know in the comments!

Artisan corn nuts. I know it sounds nuts…. it is! But in this business, we’re all a little nutty. So order every flavor that sounds good to you, and host an artisan corn nut tasting at the beginning of happy hour. Pair with some delicious beers! I like these Munch N Grub Tender Corn Nuts so that I’m not picking up broken teeth after. Honestly, you’ve gotta try this.

Juice. Fresh pressed juice is all the rage. I was contacted by Brandon from ugly juice, who brought over a bunch of flavors of their fresh pressed juice… FO FREE! Nothing beats free. We’ve also done a New Year New Me Happy Hour… with wellness shots for cleansing that dirty, dirty liver.

Fruits + MiracleBerry. This is half science experiment/half mystery taste test. These little Miracle Berry tablets from Amazon change your tastebuds temporarily. I The effects last somewhere from 1-2 hours, but you can’t feel anything. It kinda felt like a rave when we all dropped at the same time, haha. Anyway, once the effects kick in, it’s time to taste! Lemons taste like lemonade. Guinness tastes like chocolate. Rhubarb actually tastes palatable. Other things to try: Warheads Candy, Pomegranates, Blackberries, Strawberries, Tomatoes, Cream Cheese… there are so many possibilities!